


The Adventures of Mr. and Mrs. Lannister

by alaynes



Category: A Song of Ice and Fire & Related Fandoms, A Song of Ice and Fire - George R. R. Martin, Game of Thrones (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Victorian, F/M
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2014-08-15
Updated: 2014-08-25
Packaged: 2018-02-13 07:18:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 4,162
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2142033
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/alaynes/pseuds/alaynes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Sansa solves crimes and generally does a better job of being a detective than everyone in the Lannisport City Watch, and Tywin follows her around and looks intrigued.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. A Case and a Discovery

In the November of 1889, Miss Sansa Stark married Mr. Tyrion Lannister, the son and heir to Tywin Lannister. In due course, Sansa moved into her husband's ancestral home, Casterly Rock, an edifice built upon a rock near Lannisport in the Westerlands, far South of her home originally. Casterly Rock was as large a place as Winterfell had been, and as Sansa had been accustomed to living in large, old, airy manors that seemed almost to be castles, she found herself settling in quickly, becoming comfortable in the house she had come to accept as a home, if not entirely with her husband, who was altogether too clever for her.

While Tyrion (as he had in short time asked her to refer to him by his Seven-given name) was a good man and, Sansa believed, a good husband, Sansa did never entirely welcome his attentions. And being of a keen mind and a quick eye as she was, she did notice too quickly that her husband had affairs outside their marriage bed more than he did within it, and she ceased to care much for him but as, perhaps, a friend.

On the 5th of January the following year, Tyrion woke up early in the morning, rising earlier than he ordinarily did and taking breakfast before her in order to take a cab to Lannisport, which was some ways removed from Casterly Rock. This was all because on that morning, Mr. Tywin Lannister, his father, a strict, foreboding sort of man by all accounts, was returning to Lannisport from King's Landing, where he had spent the last many years. On the way to Lannisport, Tyrion met with an accident involving one other cab, and then the youngest son of Mr. Tywin Lannister never recovered.

(When Mr. Tywin Lannister arrived, Sansa was in the parlour, reading the _Lannisport Times_ , awaiting with little eagerness the return of her husband and goodfather. By Tyrion's own description his father was not a man to be merry with. Mr. Tywin Lannister had, Tyrion believed, always been a man of less than pleasant nature, but the death of his wife in childbed had led him to become cold, on occasion cruel. Sansa had little wish to meet him when he was in such way described.

For the occasion, the bedrooms and the parlour in the West Wing, where the rooms were otherwise seldom opened, had been aired, dusted and made presentable, for the Old Lion had always had the wing to himself, and this would continue now. Their housekeeper, a Mrs. Hill, was leaving the parlour hurriedly when Sansa heard the footsteps, larger and confident, which Sansa then believed to be overpowering the sounds of her husband's own smaller and lighter steps, and set the paper down, standing to greet the two.

"If you believe you can offend me by not arriving to receive me, Tyrion, you are mistaken." Mr. Tywin Lannister said, striding into the room. 

By appearance he was older than Sansa believed he was. He was a particular man by all that she could see, with a neat beard and whiskers, well kept clothes that were slightly crumpled by the travel but otherwise clean. There was the slightest smudge on ink on his hands that seemed to indicate he had been occupied with work, or reading a freshly printed paper this morning. He was taller than she, as she had noticed at her wedding, and had a steel in his eye. He looked furious, and, on seeing none but herself, almost surprised. His hands were cleaner than her husband's were a lot of the time, and he had no mud on his trousers or coat even though Lannisport was often muddy during the winter. He had a strong nose, a low brow and a small mouth; or perhaps a mouth made smaller by his anger. This was a man with all his buttons on.

"Tyrion left to receive you an hour ago." She said. Mr. Lannister only frowned.)

With the freedom that being the lady of Casterly Rock and a widow provided, Sansa began to do, on occasion, as she could with the little mysteries that daily life provided them. She was skilled enough for it to be in her powers to solve the problems, if rather small, that she was surrounded with, such as who stole the cook's tarts before they had cooled, or where the housekeeper's daughter's necklace had disappeared.

Unfortunately for Sansa, the word of her abilities as an ameteur detective spread quicker and wider than she would have preferred through gossip between the servants, and soon it happened that many women from around Lannisport began to arrive at Casterly Rock with mysteries that the City Watch would pay little attention to, and asking for Mrs. Lannister, who had built up a reputation as a detective. For some time, the only other member of the house did not notice, or perhaps did not care to mention it.

Mr. Lannister occupied the West Wing, and spent a large amount of time in his study, occupied with work that was unknown to her. He emerged from his wing rarely, sometimes spending days at a time inside. As he received all his meals in the parlour there, he had little reason to leave it. When he did, he spent some time in the parlour or left the manor entirely, returning later in the day. It was on one of these occasions that he came across a Mrs. Jast, a woman from Lannisport, concerned that the death of her husband was not of natural reasons, as the City Watch suspected.

It was a more difficult situation than Sansa had ever had presented to her, but the thought of foul play being at hand, a murder that she could unravel, sending the perpetrator who might otherwise have escaped to a just punishment, both excited and frightened Sansa equally.

Mrs. Jast was explaining how she had found her husband, her description interspersed by her own thoughts and opinions on it (which Sansa heard but did her best to ignore) when they were interrupted by the arrival of Mr. Lannister.

"Mr. Tywin Lannister, oh, good day. I was simply here telling the good lady of the case, I was. It's a foul affair, all of it, oh, and the City Watch won't do anything but say it was just an accident. I don't trust that man, Clegane, for all he looks like one of those hound dogs they use to sniff out things."

"Mr. Lannister," Sansa said, intent on removing him from the room as quickly as was possible. She knew it was unlikely she could continue this if Mr. Lannister found out, and while her skills were harmless and sometimes useful when the case involved was something small such as tarts, but when it became more complex (as undoubtedly this would be) it would be difficult for her, especially if she could not leave the manor to inspect the true scene of the crime, which she believed she would want to do. It was of utmost importance she find the man responsible for this, if truly it was a case of what the woman suspected, before he had time to perpetrate some fresh atrocity. But before she could speak further, he had seated himself on an armchair, leaning backward in a manner of polite curiosity.

"Do continue." He said. "You have no reason to tarry." Sansa observed him keenly, his manner in all ways that of curiosity, with no trace of anger in him. While Sansa's father had been a liberal man, giving her the permission to do as she wished so long as there was no harm done, her mother had always been more traditional and had balked when she had found Sansa once pulling the gardener boy in Winterfell by the ear, trying to find a stolen locket on his person or in his rooms. She had believed Mr. Lannister, who looked to be a traditionalist himself, would react the same way.

"So, as I was saying, I found me husband right by the door in our rooms, which are at 7 Smiths' Street, lying in an odd contorted way. At first I thought he'd simply fallen down, but he wouldn't wake up, and when I tried waking him up I found that he wouldn't move or stir, and then I saw some blood on the back of his head, as if he'd been hit with something or shot. That was when I called the Watch, and they said he'd must have had a weak heart, even though I insisted that it was not so. But they wouldn't listen to me, and they left without looking into it in any way. 

"My Lyonel's a grown man now, away at Oldtown, and it was only me and Antario at home with Jorge in Ashemark with his wife, and Addam in Essos. There's no one as could have gotten in, and I was out with Mrs. Kenning who lives next door, who's a lovely woman but for her nasty husband, who's a dead brute even at the best of times, and worse when he's got a bit of drink in him. A blessing for that man being in the Navy, for he'd be worse were he at port at all times." Here she shook her head. The woman spoke expressively, her voice so low that Sansa had to lean close to hear when she spoke of her children, and then high with indignation as she spoke of her friend.

"I tried to speak to the Watch to convince them to find out more, but that Clegane man wouldn't hear of it. He said Antario fell down and hit his head, or fell down dead of a weak heart. 'Tis no more than an accident.' he said, and I might have believed him, but I know my husband, and he had a better constitution than that. It would take more than a fall on his head to be the end of him, I know. 

"Oh, but my cook, she'd heard of your abilities and she said you had some talent with solving mysteries and the like — " at this revelation Sansa turned to look at Mr. Lannister to gauge his reaction, but found only an expression she could interpret as curiosity. " — and she recommended I come to you as soon as I was able. I took a cab immediately, Mrs. Lannister, and I've left the room completely untouched as I'm staying at Mrs. Kennings' for now. Nothing's been changed except for what the Watch might have moved around, even if they didn't do anything at all, just looked at Antario and said it was just an accident. Please do look into it, Mrs. Lannister, I do wish you'd help me find what's happened."

With that, Mrs. Jast took her leave, Sansa offering her condolences and indicating that she would think upon the matter, and, possibly, go to Lannisport herself to see if inspecting the scene itself would help her discover more of what had truly happened. (She believed it would.) At the same time, Mr. Lannister was still seated in the armchair, looking entirely discomfited by the entire matter, and once Mrs. Jast had left Sansa was quick to look him over. Unfortunately for her, his expression conveyed little to her as she had seen so little of him in the whole time of their acquaintance. He did not seem to her to be angry, but Sansa knew from experience that every body had a different set of expressions and would express their anger or irritation differently.

Sansa was also aware that being a widow of his son and the lady of Casterly Rock, he was her superior, and if he disapproved of her doings she would have to restrain herself; certainly in such way that he might not discover it in the future.

"Mr. Lannister," she began, then paused, not entirely certain what she should say. She did not intend to apologise, as she had done no wrong. She did not need to beg forgiveness, for as a woman of some independence who was under no restrictions her husband may have placed upon her, she was free to do as she wished within what was now her own home. 

"Explain yourself."

This, Sansa had expected. She spoke quickly and clearly, desiring to leave and travel to the scene of the crime. There was little time to be whiled away in explanations. "Is it possible for me to explain myself once I return? I intend to see the scene of the crime, and that before it can be corrupted by nature and outside intrusions." She said, hoping rather against her expectations that he would take no issue with it, and let her pass.

"Would the company of another hinder you?" He asked in a tone somewhat gruff but otherwise clear, with no possibility of mistake in the words she had heard.

She replied in the negative.

"Then you must get dressed. I will not have any Lannister seen in Lannisport in this sorry state."

(Sansa might have at another time taken offense at this remark about her state, which by her judgment was not sorry at all, but was far too nervous with excitement to do so. Instead, she obeyed.)


	2. An Explanation, An Investigation

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sansa explains herself to Tywin, and they investigate the crime scene.

When Sansa returned in a dress more suitable to Lannisport, Mr. Lannister was waiting outside with a cab, having donned his coat and hat, and carrying a stately walking stick that Sansa had noted on multiple occasions that he did not seem to require the use of. She thought perhaps he beat people with it if they angered him or were incompetent.

Inside the cab, Mr. Lannister occupied the seat directly opposite her, and gave her a look so keen it became impossible for Sansa to look anywhere other than at him. Sansa was aware that he expected an explanation from her, and chose to wait until the cab were moving. It was forty-seven minutes from Casterly Rock to Lannisport by hansom, ten minutes over an hour if the horse were particularly slow or in difficult weather. Since they didn't seem to have either of those complaints at the moment, Sansa hoped to reach Lannisport before noon, giving her enough time to examine the scene and have luncheon in town before returning to the Rock, if Mr. Lannister did not disagree.

Her goodfather did not lack patience. He simply continued to look at her expectantly, and Sansa looked out the window and at the passing road for a few moments, collecting her thoughts and making them presentable. Then she cleared her throat, and began.

"I have always had a turn for observation and deduction, both. The rules of deduction are simple and not at all difficult to master, and from a young age I have found myself more observant than others my age. Any mystery about a person may be solved by observing them and making certain obvious deductions. It is a science, one that I have been interested in all my life. A man's fingernails, his coat sleeve, trouser knees or shirt cuff may reveal what he is; the twitch of an eye or a sideways glance may aid a practiced observer to find out his inmost thoughts. A competent enquirer may solve any mystery without much difficulty, as he cannot be deceived and knows where to search.

"This is my talent, as Mrs. Jast phrased it; quite unfortunately, I might add. It is not talent, merely a honed sense, not one I have had chance to develop as carefully as I would like. Yet I believe myself as competent as perhaps the members of the City Watch, who can on occasion be less careful in their observation than is ideal.

"When I was younger, my father was liberal enough to allow me to practice this sort of deduction in the little mysteries of daily life that are to be found in the safety of one's own home, and permitted me to read more of the curiosities that were to be found outside it. A lot of my practice and knowledge is derived also from reading through as many books of science as I can find, and questioning the maester at Winterfell about chemistry and anatomy as far as he would answer my questions. There is plenty that this kind of education has kept me unaware of, and I lack sorely very important knowledge that would assist me in this. All the same, I used all my resources to the best of my ability, until my mother discovered me —" here Sansa felt a slight colouring in her cheeks as she recalled the incident; one that was rather inappropriate in hindsight. "— apprehending the gardener's son for stealing a locket, as I believed he had."

"Had he?" Mr. Lannister asked, interrupting her for the first time since she had begun speaking.

"Yes. It was found later, when I insisted upon a search of his rooms. But Mother did not believe it was an activity for young girls to take up, and I gave up on it for a time. I did not truly think much of it, except for the odd observation I made when introduced to people, and some little games of identifying by appearance the habits, lifestyle and occupation of a man. It was only after I arrived at Casterly Rock that I took up with my hobby once again."

"And Tyrion permitted it?" Mr. Lannister asked. Sansa shook her head.

"It wasn't until after Tyrion's accident that I began. All my cases so far have been of simple nature, such as the theft of the cook's tarts, or the location of the housekeeper's daughter on the occasions she wishes to hide with goods in the pantry. Until today, the greatest mystery I have been handed was the question of the identity of a man Mrs. Ruttiger met, who had taken up at her home for a few days, and convinced her daughter that he would return to ask for Mr. Ruttiger's permission to marry her.

"I didn't intend for my name to be spread in such a way, but once it had there was little I could do to stop it from spreading further within the gossip of women in Lannisport. I also did not expect at any time that anyone should come to me asking me for aid in a matter like this; but I have the skills that I believe will help the truth of the matter come to light, and I cannot abandon Mrs. Jast in her current situation."

Mr. Lannister simply continued looking at her keenly, with an expression that did not speak of anger. His eyebrows were not drawn, but his mouth had become a small, thin line. And yet he spoke not a word of reprimand. Sansa did not speak further, but turned away, looking out the window for the rest of the drive.

Lannisport was a crowded city, and a much larger one than Wintertown, which dulled in comparison to this golden city. But the size and prosperity of Lannisport brought with it the lowlifes and thieves that were few to be found in Wintertown. The bustling streets housed many a ragpicker, thief or homeless family. During the Winter the streets turned muddy as it rained, but it did not snow here, and never had this place seen the bitter cold that was found too often in the North. Instead, here it was the heat of the sun and the humidity that came with being near to the sea that plagued them during the summer months. To protect themselves from this, the buildings in the city tended to have multiple storeys, and rooms in the lower storeys were more coveted than the upper ones, the better to escape the humidity with.

Mr. and Mrs. Jast had occupied such rooms. They had a suite in Smiths street with one bed-room and a large sitting-room with windows looking out into the street. Unfortunately for Sansa, the windows were quite high up, small, and had their curtains drawn; if all was as Mrs. Jast had said, and she hadn't moved anything in the room, then it was unlikely anyone had witnessed any of the events in question.

Mrs. Jast's landlady was a portly woman, with a florid face, a great love for knitting, and a slight tremor in her hands. She greeted Sansa and Mr. Lannister with a drawn face, looking somewhat irritated at their arrival.

Sansa informed her that they were there on Mrs. Jast's request, and asked the woman whether there had been any visitors or unexpected noises from upstairs the day of the incident.

"Mrs. Jast said someone would be coming to investigate. Stamping up and down the house, like the Watch hadn't done enough of that. No, there wasn't any visitors. The Jasts are quiet people, kept to themselves. As to noises, Mr. Jast occasionally made noises from time to time, pacing, sounded like. There was one loud noise towards the end when he fell and hit his head, but I didn't give it too much thought then." Sansa nodded, and, thanking the woman for her (unhelpful) answers, made her way up the stairs to the rooms, Mr. Lannister following closely behind her. She pushed the door open with a gloved hand, hoping the body would not be as close to the door as Mrs. Jast had spoken, if only so that it would not disturb it.

It was not.

But on first sight, it seemed to Sansa that if he had _not_ been moved, his positioning was unlikely. The man looked to be in his mid-forties, tall, with dull greying hair. He wore black trousers and a waistcoat with a black morning coat. His mouth was open but his eyes were shut; likely that was what had given Mrs. Jast the impression of him being asleep. He was on one side, with one arm below him in an uncomfortable way and the other lying behind him. His legs were open. There was a deep frown on his face, a way to the set of his mouth that indicated anger, further supported by his clenched hands.

Sansa had never seen a body before, and seeing death in this form had made her uncomfortable as she knew she could not be, if she were to be any sort of detective at all. Steeling herself as best she could, she looked around, observing the room itself and not simply the man.

The room seemed large and empty, having little furniture and a dull wallpaper the colour of rust. There was one large sofa, and some bookshelves on the walls, and little else of notice. A tray lay on another table by the sofa, with an old unwashed cup and saucer on it along with a pot of sugar. The room smelled faintly of stale tea. There was one door that Sansa assumed led into the bed-room; it was shut. The windows of the room had curtains drawn. The body lay next to a low side table table, giving some credibility to the theory of his having hit his head on it as he had fallen. A top hat lay about three or four feet away, likely having rolled there.

Sansa extracted from her reticule a small magnifying glass that she had thought to bring with her, and, lifting her skirts slightly to step carefully over the body, she looked closely at the sidetable, then examined it with the lens. The table edge was clean, having only one thin layer of dust upon it. Next, kneeling next to the body (an act that was made unnecessarily difficult by her dress), Sansa looked closely at the injury on the back of the man's head. His hair was light in colour and greying, which made the darkened blood near his wound easier to notice. A slight patch of darkened red was visible on the light carpet on the floor. Mr. Jast's death had not been an accident, for certain.

Sansa stood, looking at Mr. Lannister significantly. He was still standing in the doorway, she noted, looking decidedly away from the body. "Have you noticed something of importance?"

She fought the urge to smile at her discovery; it had not been a difficult one to make. If the men of the Watch had not made it, they were either fools or careless. She was neither, and she had no reason to be proud of herself for being neither. "The edge of the table is clean." He seemed not to understand, so she frowned and continued. "If he had hit his head on it, there would be some blood, but there isn't any to be found. There, on the carpet, you can see clearly the spot of blood where his head met it, but there is none on the table."

"Making the City Watch's theory completely impossible."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry it took so long, I've been a bit distracted with the whole Doctor Who returning thing. 
> 
> Thank you all for the comments/kudos/bookmarks, and, hey, leave some more if you will?

**Author's Note:**

> Uh, if I'm being honest I don't know exactly where I'm going with this. Bit of a shot in the dark, especially as it's a completely different way of writing than the one I'm used to. And mysteries. Mysteries are hard. Hope it's interesting so far, though.
> 
> Comments are wonderful!


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